A Marine Called Jason
(Revised)
by: Peter

(© 2007-2015 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 95
High School Graduation 

Graduation was a proud day.  It was both the end of an amazing journey and the beginning of a new one, for Jason and me as well as Kyle and Devon.  We didn’t plan any kind of graduation celebration because the boys had talked about all the other parties afterwards. Jason and I went home and had our own quiet celebration with a beer out on the porch.

“It’s hard to believe we’ve come this far,” Jason said quietly.

“Do you think about it much; where we started?” I asked.

“All the time, but not so much consciously anymore.  It’s just there, hanging around in the back of my mind.”

“Yeah, me too. Have you ever thought you might want to go back?” he asked.

“Yes. And take the boys. Maybe go back and dig up our dog tags,” I said.

“No, they belong there,” he said. “A part of us can never leave that place.  It’s a part of us; it’s in our blood.  And we’ll always be a part of Vietnam.”

“The boys have never mentioned going back,” I said.

“Maybe they don’t want to,” he said.  “I wouldn’t make them go with us if we went.”

There was a long but comfortable silence.  We never felt the need to talk, and sometimes we didn’t if we didn’t have anything to say.

“You love him, don’t you,” I said.

He looked around at me. 

“Devon,” I said.

“Yes.  More than anything.  Except you.”

“You don’t have to qualify that,” I said. “It took you long enough, but I know how you feel about me.”

A car turned into the lane. 

“Must be one of the boys,” I said.

“Probably coming home to change.  I guess it's party time.”

It was Kyle.

“Where’s your brother?” I asked.

“He’s hanging around, waiting for Jake.”

The highlight of graduation for Devon wasn’t that he received his diploma but that Jake was there. We’d seen him through the crowds, or who we thought was him, when we saw this big stud hanging close to Devon, but in the chaos, we hadn’t met him.

“What’re his plans?” Jason asked.

“He said he was coming home to change then he and Jake are going someplace.  I think Jake's going to be leaving for the summer and they wanta make every minute count.”

“Oh, maybe we will get to meet the mystery stud,” Jason said.

“What are your plans?” I asked.

“I’m going to pick up Angie and start making the rounds of the parties,” he said.

“I forgot to tell you, your curfew is suspended,” I said.

“Thanks, Dad.  That makes things so much easier,” he said, laughing.

“How so?”

“Well, I was going to break curfew anyway, and suffer the consequences.”

“I figured you would, and I didn’t want to have to deal with it,” I said.  “Just be careful.”

“Yeah, no drinking and driving, no drugs, no sex,” Jason said.

“Come on! This is graduation night.  There won’t be a virgin left in the class by morning,” Kyle said.

“You’re already not a virgin,” I reminded him.

“But I don’t want to forget how to be not a virgin,” he said, punching me on the shoulder as he walked past me to the door.

He came down in denim cutoffs and a yellow T-shirt.  I grabbed him by the arm.

“Where will you be, to be out with no curfew?” I asked.  “It doesn’t matter, I would just want some idea.”

“We’ll make the rounds of the parties, then probably get something to eat, then end up out at Lake Minnewa.  There’s talk that some of the parties will move out there.”

“Jason was serious about the drugs and drinking and driving,” I said.

“Dad, how many times have we had that talk?”

“Not as many times as we’re going to have it,” I said.  “I want your word on it so I don’t worry.”

“You have my word, Dad.  I don’t do drugs, and I won’t drink and drive.”

Jason grabbed his arm and stopped him from going on down the steps.

“If anything happens, you call us,” he said.

“Yes, sir, I will.”

“If anything happens and you don’t call us you will wish you were dead,” he warned.

“Damn, you guys are acting like a couple of Dads,” he said laughing. He skipped down the steps and walked to the car.  He turned and waved as he got in. We watched him drive off down the lane.

“It’s like I’m watching him drive out of my life,” I said quietly.

Jason laughed.  “I don’t think you’re going to be rid of him that easily.”

About an hour later, we saw Devon driving in. There was a car behind him.  He got out and waited for the other car to pull up beside him. As they came up to the porch together I smiled inside; fuck, I would’ve waited around for the guy too.  It was obvious that his body was layered with muscle beneath the white T-shirt, and even more obvious was his massive thighs sticking out of a pair of hiking shorts.

“Dad, Jason, there’s somebody I would like you to meet.  This is Jake Studt.  Jake this is my dad and Kyle’s dad.  I met Jake at football camp.”

“We’ve heard some about you,” Jason said as we both stood to shake hands with the boy. I was impressed with his handshake. He had big hands. I was impressed, period. Damn!!  Devon had found himself a stud!  He lived up to his name.

“Don’t believe any of it,” Jake said.

“I came home to change,” Devon said.

“Then what?” I asked, and hastened to add, “Don’t worry, there’s no curfew, but I’ll tell you the same as I told your brother, we want some idea of where you will be.”

“We’re going to a couple of the parties, probably end up out at Lake Minnewa for a while, but then, I was going to ask if it’s okay if we come back here and put up the tent back in the woods.”

“Yes, certainly,” I said, surprised.

“We don’t want to have to worry about the drinking and driving thing,” Jake put in.  “I guess it would be okay if we had a couple of beers back in the woods?”

“You can get drunker’n than a skunk back in the woods,” I said.

“Well, we won’t do that either,” Jake said. “At least I won’t.  I’ve been there and done that, and it’s not worth the hangover.”

I thought Devon would take Jake up to his room with him but Jake stayed back when Devon went up to change.

“If you’re not driving, would you like a beer?” Jason asked.

“That’d be great, thanks.” When Jason had gone inside, Jake came over to where I was sitting.  He seemed nervous. We glanced at each other and he looked away. When he glanced back at me and found me looking at him, he found his courage.

“Mr. Courter, I would like to talk to you and Mr. Seaborne if you both have a minute,” he said.  His voice was a bit unsteady.

“Sure.” I stood up and picked up my beer. 

“It really just concerns Mr. Seaborne, but from all that Devon has told me about their two dads, I think it’d be better if I talked to both of you.”

Jason came out with Jake’s beer; I took it and handed it to him.  “Jake wants us to show him the woods,” I said.

The three of us walked back to the woods. 

“Devon and Kyle have been promising to build a footbridge across the creek,” I said. “Meanwhile, we have to use a fallen tree to get across.”

“That’s okay, we don’t have to cross the creek,” Jake said. “Mr. Seaborne, Devon said he told you about him and me.”

“We got sort of a run-down,” Jason said.

“He also told me how you and Mr. Courter brought him and Kyle back from Vietnam when they were little boys.”

“Yes.”

“And, uh….about your situation here, them having two dads and no Moms.  Well he didn't exactly tell me but I sorta figured it out and that makes it easier for me to say what I have to say.”

“All right,” Jason said, waiting.

“Although it’s still not easy,” the boy said. “I feel like I’m facing a dad that I got his daughter pregnant.”

“Well, we know it’s not that,” Jason said

“I’m in love your son, Mr. Seaborne.”

I was completely taken aback and it must have showed.  It certainly showed on Jason’s face.

“I know it sounds crazy. A guy usually says that to a girl’s father.  I thought I would be saying it to my girlfriend’s father, till I met Devon.”

I was instantly admiring of the boy’s courage but I didn’t know where he was going with it. This conversation with a young man, if Jason or I had a daughter, would be leading up to permission to marry.

“This all came out of left field for me,” the boy went on.  “Nothing like this ever entered my mind till I met Devon. I don’t even know what happened. Things were going along fine and then suddenly he was there in my life. I walked in that dorm at football camp and there he was and my life was suddenly turned upside down. I just felt myself suddenly attracted to him, and everything went from there.”

“All right, but I want to ask, Jake, why you’re telling me this,” Jason said.

“I’m heading out for Wyoming tomorrow.  I haven’t told Devon.”

“Oh.  He said he thought you had a job in Wyoming but he never said when you were leaving.  He’s going to be disappointed,” I said.

“Yes.  I know.  I wish I weren’t going, but my dad got me a job on a ranch out there. I was wondering, Mr. Seaborne, if there’s any way Devon could come with me.  I didn’t want to ask him till I talked to you.”

“Well….I don’t know.  Would he have a job waiting on him, or would he have to find one?” Jason asked.

“I’m sure Dad could get him on at the ranch.”

We walked a ways farther.  I was looking down at the ground, in thought.

“I promise I won’t let anything happen to him,” Jake said.

“I’m not worried about that,” Jason said.  “Devon is a big boy, I’m sure he can take care of himself.”

“I know he can, but I’ve got this….this feeling that I wanta protect him.  I try not to show it, but I love him so damned much, I couldn’t stand anything happening to him.”

“Do your parents know about this, Jake?” Jason asked. “This love you have for another boy?”

“No.”

“When will they know?”

“I don’t know. Devon says there’s no reason why we have to tell them.  And they'll never guess, we’re both very straight acting. You have to understand, my parents aren’t too keen on this sort of thing….two guys together.”

“Son, the way you’re talking to me about how you feel about Devon, it’s going to be pretty hard to keep it under wraps from the rest of the world,” Jason said.

“We won’t be around my parents all that much,” he said. “When summer is over, we’ll be going to college, or I might go in the Marines.  After that, I won’t be moving back home, so it’ll just be for rare visits that they’ll see us together.”

Suddenly I realized that he wasn’t walking with us.  I looked around and he was standing several yards behind us.

“I don’t mean to pressure you, Mr. Seaborne, but I need an answer before we go back to the house.”

“Well, first, Jake, you nor Devon need my permission,” Jason said as he turned and walked back toward the boy.  “If you ask Devon to go to Wyoming with you and he says yes, there’s not a lot I can or would even try do about it. He’s old enough to make his own decisions. So Devon’s answer is my answer.”

“I didn’t want to tear him away from his family.  He’s really big on family.”

“Oh, really.”

“Yes. You should hear how he talks about you all.”

I spoke up.  “Well, Jake, I don’t think you could tear him away from us.  But I think he would walk away to go with you. And frankly, I don’t blame him.”

“Oh?”

“Well, I was impressed when I saw you get out of your car.  I’m even more impressed now.  You’re a man of your convictions and courage. You’re a man, beyond your age.”

“I don’t know about the courage part,” he said, laughing nervously.  “You don’t know how scared I was to talk to you.  I’m still shaking inside.”

“I’m a man to be reckoned with, but not a man to be feared,” Jason said.

“Oh, I think you would be if anybody did anything to harm Kyle or Devon.”

We saw Devon come out on the porch, looking all around.

“We’re out here,” I called out.

He jumped off the porch and ran toward us.

“They were showing me the woods,” Jake said. “When are you going to get that footbridge built?”

“This summer. Kyle and I promised ourselves we’ll build it this summer.”

The three of us looked at each other and smiled.

“What?” Devon asked.

“Nothing.  We’ll believe it when we see it,” I said.

Jake didn’t mention our conversation so neither did I or Jason; we figured he wanted to tell Devon himself, in private.

We didn’t hear the boys come in but when I got up the next morning we found Kyle in bed.  Passing by Devon’s room I noticed the door was closed.  It was open when we went to bed and the room was empty.  I cautiously peered inside. Devon and Jake were in Devon’s bunk together.  Jason just smiled when I told him.

“Well, I’m glad he’s as lucky as I was and found somebody,” he said.

“It’s odd to hear you say that,” I said.

“Why?”

“That you found somebody.  Like you were looking,” I said.

“There was a point in my life when I was. When I thought it was too late.  I never want Devon to go through that.”

When I turned from the sink he was standing squarely in front of me. I reared back, surprised. My eyes met his and there was a mischievous sparkle in them.  He took me by the shoulders and pulled me in tight as he wrapped his arms around me.  We were engaged in a hard, passionate kiss when Kyle came in.

“Whoa!” he said, stepping back through the door. “Sorry.”

We parted, rather embarrassed.  It was the first time either of the boys had seen any display of affection between us, and he was a little embarrassed too.

“Don’t be,” Jason said.  “We thought you would sleep late.”

“Evidently. Maybe I should’ve,” he said with a grin.

“Do you want eggs?” I asked.

He made a face.  “I couldn’t look an egg in the face. I just want some coffee.”

“Bad night?” Jason asked.

“No. Great night. That’s the reason I need some coffee,” he said.  “Hey, did you happen to look in Devon’s room?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Man, that takes balls.”

“You’re just jealous,” I joked.

“Well, I am odd man out,” he said.  “You guys have each other, Devon’s got Jake.  I should’ve brought Angie home with me.”

“You know the rules, no girls in the house,” Devon said as he came into the kitchen.  Jake was right behind him. “Too bad you’re straight, you could have boys in the house,” Devon added, punching Kyle in the shoulder.

“Good morning, Jake,” I said.

“Good morning, Mr. Courter.  Mr. Seaborne.”

“You can call us Jason and Brad,” Jason told him.

“I think I’ll stick with Mr. Courter and Mr. Seaborne for a while.”

“I thought you guys were going to put up the tent back in the woods,” I said.

“We got in so late, we were tired, it was too much trouble.”

“Too tired for one of you to climb up in the top bunk, too, huh?” Kyle joked.

Jake looked a little embarrassed, but he quickly countered.  “Too bad you’re straight,” he said.

We all laughed.  Jake was going to fit in just fine.

“Well, I guess everybody knows except Kyle,” Devon said.

“Everybody knows what?  What don’t I know?”

“I’m going to Wyoming for the summer.”

Kyle was visibly surprised.

“What the hell is in Wyoming?” Kyle asked.

“Me,” said Jake.

“You’re going to Wyoming together? When?”

“We’re leaving tonight,” Jake said.

As they explained their plans it became obvious that Kyle was more than not happy with them, he was hurt, even a little angry.

“Sorry,” Jake said. “You should’ve hooked up with somebody at football camp like we did.”

Suddenly Kyle left the kitchen and went into the living room. 

“Oh. I guess I shouldn’t have said that,” Jake said.

“I’ll go talk to him,” I said.

“No, please….let me,” Jake said.

“I need to go with you,” Devon said.

The two boys went into the living room where Kyle was slouched in one of the big easy chairs.

“I’m sorry, Kyle, I was out of line.  I was being flip and I shouldn’t have said that.”

Kyle ignored him and looked right at Devon, with a pained look.  “It’s the first time we’ve ever been apart,” he said.  His voice cracked.

Devon’s face showed his hurt.  He knelt down on one knee in front of Kyle. “We didn’t have any plans together for the summer,” he said.

“We never needed any plans.”

“We were apart at football camp,” Devon pointed out.  “We barely saw each other. We never even talked to each other.”

“But I knew you were there, you knew I was there.  But I guess you knew Jake was there too.” 

“Geezuss, I didn’t mean to come between you guys,” Jake said.  “Devon, you don’t have to go.”

“Kyle, please, I want you to be happy for me,” Devon said, pleadingly. 

“I am, but dammit, Devon, we’ve always been there for each other.  I’ve always watched out for you.  Back in the orphanage….”

“Those days are over,” Devon cut in.

"They'll never be over!"  Kyle snapped. "For as long as we live, those days will always be with us!”

Jake came back out to the kitchen.  “Godd, I have fucked things up,” he said.

“We’ll work it out,” I said calmly.  He quickly turned and went back into the living room.

“Okay, I’m settling this!” Jake said in a loud, stern voice.  “You’re not going to Wyoming, Devon.  The invitation is withdrawn.”

Devon’s expression turned to pained surprise.  He stood.

“It was selfish of me to ask you,” Jake went on.  “Maybe you guys can drive out together to see me.”

“No!  No, you can’t do that. We talked last night, it’s all arranged,” Devon said.

“Nothing’s arranged,” Jake said. “I haven’t even told my dad to see if he can get you on at the ranch.”

“Stop,” Kyle said quietly.  He stood up. “I’m the one who’s being selfish.  It’s time to grow up.  It’s not like we’re joined at the hip, Devon.  If I get married, it’s not like I’m going to take you on my honeymoon. And I’ll just have to find another source for blowjobs.”

That remark broke the tension and everybody broke out laughing. Devon went at him, pounding him in the chest. 

Jake roared with laughter. “Hey, dude….Kyle….if you'll just give us your blessing, I’ll give you a blowjob,” he said.

The three boys hugged each other all together.

“There is one thing we have to get done before we leave; get that footbridge built,” Jake said.

They came back to the kitchen where Jason and I were sitting at the table drinking coffee.

“I guess you heard most of that,” Kyle said.

“Yes.”

“Well, we got it worked out.”

“Good. Let’s get you all some breakfast so you can get to work on the footbridge,” I said.

“Yes, and there’s the little matter of a blowjob,” Kyle joked, looking at Jake.

To be continued...  

Posted: 05/22/15 rp